Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful.
Thankful for 3 healthy and beautiful daughters

Thankful for a husband of almost 33 years (that I have known since I was 13)

Thankful for my father and my in-laws

Thankful for my brothers and their families

Thankful for dear, precious friends who add so much to my life

Thankful I have a home and food

Thankful for the freedoms I have living in the United States of America and for each and every person who has fought to allow me these freedoms and rights.

Thankful for my mother and all that she taught me and so very thankful I was able to be with her when she left this world. I miss her so much, but am most thankful that I will see her again one day thanks to the promise of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

So, today I give thanks. For all of the above and so much more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Home at last

Soooo happy to be home. Sleeping in my own bed last night was wonderful. Waking up in my own bed was even better!

Today has been spent cleaning and getting the laundry done. And resting, lots of resting.

I just about did too much yesterday, what with all the furniture rearranging. Did I mention I moved an entire king sized bed all by myself? Well, I did. All by myself. After a week in the hospital with Donald, I needed some physical activity and I think I managed to get quite a bit in the past few days. So much, that today I am very sore! But I am glad I was able to do some things to make life a little easier for my in-laws. I cleaned and grocery shopped on Thursday, moved furniture and cooked on Friday and drove home that night.

I took this picture on Wednesday before they told us we could take Donald home. He had a very rough day and night on Tuesday, so this was especially sweet.

I will be going back to Glenpool on Monday to help out some more. Hopefully I will have recovered from the past 8 days.

TGIF even if it is the 13th

Wow, what a week this has been. We made it to Tulsa on the 5th and I haven't been home since!
Ed's dad was not doing well at all and could not be left alone, so Ed and I spent the next 5 nights attempting to sleep in recliners in my FIL's hospital room. I finally sent Ed home to sleep in a real bed on Tuesday night and stayed with his dad by myself. Ed's back situation is precarious at best and he needed a good firm bed to keep it from going completely out on him. Plus, his mom was pretty close to total exhaustion and was in need of a good dinner and an early bedtime.

Finally on Wednesday, the Dr.'s said he could come home!! We were packed and ready in a flash. A week in the hospital with basically no sleep and not the best of eating habits was more than enough for all of us! But of course after staying up all night for a week, it was nearly impossible to sleep that first night. Last night was a little better and tonight I will be sleeping in my very own bed!! Ed's sister will stay the weekend and if needed I will come back on Monday. While I certainly don't mind coming back and helping, I would rather he be doing well enough that I am not needed. We are getting concerned about Ed's mom as well, she has been under so much stress the past few months, with her sister's illness and recent death and now Donald's health problems. We are just trying to make sure she doesn't end up in the hospital bed beside him next time.

So, TGIF the 13th, a lucky day as far as I am concerned!!

PaPa

My father-in-law isn't doing well. He had surgery a week ago to remove the hardware from his previous back surgery and is still having intense pain. Pain that morphine doesn't seem to be touching. He has been to the ER twice now, once by ambulance and is currently in the hospital. We are going to Tulsa as soon as Ed can tie up some things at work. I am so worried about MaMa (my MIL). She has been taking care of him for months now as well as taking care of her sister Gladys. With the funeral for Gladys this week and PaPa's issues, I know she is wearing down. Both physically and emotionally. Hopefully she will allow us to take over and do somethings for them both and take care of herself. You see it so often, a spouse or family member becomes ill and the caretaker ends up in as bad if not worse shape than the person they are caring for. I just don't want to see this happen to MaMa.

PaPa, MaMa and Pa.


It is so hard to watch the people you love age and become frail. I have known my in-laws since I was 13 years old (they didn't become my in-laws until I was 18) and it is just so hard to see the way they have aged. They were really very young when I first met them. Only in their early 30's. Now they are in their early 70's. I am so thankful for all the years I have known them and hope to have them around for many more. I know how truly blessed I am to have them as my in-laws. Not everyone has this kind of relationship with with their spouse's family and I know how fortunate I am. So, we will go to them and do for them what they will allow us to do. Hopefully we will be able to offer some comfort.

Getting along

Happy to report that MomaKat has decided to forgive Puddy for whatever he did to tick her off. They actually both cuddled on my lap yesterday at the same time! She did however hiss at him once last night, but so far has not been terrorizing him the way she has for the past 2 weeks or so.

Still don't know what set her off, just glad she is getting back to her old self and Puddy can walk thru the room without fearing for his life.

On another note, just heard from Kaci, she won Best Costume at both of the Halloween parties she attended!! So I guess all my hard work was not in vain. Just hope this doesn't encourage her or anyone else to think I can start doing this regularly.....

Kaci, as Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink! Not bad, considering how long it has been since I last attempted to sew anything.